Staff Attorney- Consumer Law Program

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc. (LSEM), a non-profit law firm that provides free legal assistance to people living with low income/low opportunity, seeks a full-time Staff Attorney to work in its Consumer Law Program. The Consumer Program focuses its work on consumer issues including tenant’s rights.

• Consumer debt-defense litigation and counterclaims
• Consumer fraud, deception, and abuse cases against businesses such as auto dealers, lenders, and landlords and property managers that engage in fraudulent, unfair, or deceptive acts and practices against consumer clients
• Tenant’s rights litigation, such as tenant litigation against abusive and neglectful landlords and tenant eviction defense
• Preventing or reversing improper executions on judgments

The Staff Attorney will represent clients in state (and possibly federal) civil court proceedings. In other cases, the Staff Attorney will provide client counseling and brief legal services such as:

• Assisting clients with credit report issues or identity theft recovery
• Investigating and stopping debt collector harassment;
• Investigating and negotiating with businesses regarding alleged consumer debts and claims

Responsibilities

• Conducting client interviews and maintaining good client communication
• Conducting legal research and analysis
• Investigating and gathering facts for cases
• Handling all aspects of client litigation, including drafting pleadings, motions, and discovery, service of summons and subpoenas, motion practice, depositions, trial preparation, and trials
• Participating in community lawyering, educational presentations, and community outreach
• Participating in LSEM's systemic advocacy efforts, including identifying ways and means to make significant impacts in our communities
• Collaborating with funders and community partners
• Supervising law student interns
• Other duties as assigned by the supervising attorney